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Qeret
= Qeret jhet’Da’ar “The Manifold Hand of Destiny” = = Devices and Uniforms: = Members of Qeret jhet’Da’ar (known informally as the lek’Izmiri, the “Sons of Izmir”) do not wear uniforms - to do so would be to betray the secrecy of their society. At one point, they bore tattoos of a black hand on their left thigh, but when Myerian officials discovered this, they began to execute anyone bearing the tattoos. At that point, the jhet’Da’ar stopped using this symbol. They make themselves known to one another by a series of secret code phrases and extremely subtle hand gestures. Deity: Most jhet’Da’ar follow Choth, believing that fortune must turn to their side soon. Some also are followers of Daroc. They spurn and hate those who would worship Manar, giving them the derisive title of Seethach tesh’Manarek, “Dung Beetles of Manar”. Dominion: The Qeret jhet’Da’ar are not specifically a religious society; though they claim no dominion on spiritual matters, they firmly believe that the gods are on their side. Goal: The Qeret jhet’Da’ar want first and foremost for Myere to rejoin with Nost‘Karé and to reestablish the might of the lost Nost’Karéan Empire. To this end, they wish the Faizal royal family to be ousted, the Council of 18 disbanded, and Myere to cede back to Nost’Karé. They work for the re-inclusion of Sha’Thraem into the Empire as well. The jhet’Da’ar wish for a breaking-off of political ties with Akkoria and all other nearby nations. Territory: Jhet’Da’ar can be found throughout Myere. They also have members who work extensively in Sha’Thraem and many contacts in Nost’Karé itself. Genesis: The breakaway of Myere from Nost’Karé in 207 PA was not universally supported throughout the eighteen provinces which ceded from the Empire. A few of the noble families did not wish to sunder their contact with the political might and social nuance of the ancient land of which they were a part. Until the Nost’Karéan recognition of Myere as an independent nation, those families continued to call upon the provisional government to return to the Empire, but their pleas were to no avail. Once Myere established itself, the Council of 18 came into being, and the Faizal family was instituted on the throne. Those same families who had sued for a return to the empire found themselves out of favor in Myere. Shunned by the rest of the nobility, they dropped out of their social circles and languished in obscurity. But they did not forget. The disastrous flood in 5 AY brought a great deal of misery to the people of Myere. In the aftermath, as the nation struggled to recover, people were desperate for hope. A charismatic young man calling himself Izmir Yak’Arbek (Yak’Arbek means “Dawn of Change”) arose from the people. A member of the fallen house of Arbek, Izmir preached passionately that the flood and the famine were the punishment of the gods for the secession of Myere from its rightful place in the great Nost’Karéan Empire. It was the greed and weakness of the noble houses, guided by the twisted words of the Council, that was to blame for the chaos and death. Choth had turned fortune against them, Daroc was showing his wrath in flood and famine for their desertion of the mighty country of their ancestors. Many peasants, their lives broken by the devastation, began to agree. Izmir encouraged the people to rise up, to overthrow the “reign of oppression” that had been settled on their shoulders. Izmir lead the people to believe that the “unholy alliance” with DeMekrium was a ploy of the government to increase their wealth; that the royal families and the Council didn’t care how much the people suffered, as long as they had their luxuries. The volatile followers of the Dawn of Change did not represent the majority of the people, but they were vehement in their opposition to the government and all it represented. For three years Izmir gained power. His followers called themselves Arbek Da’ar, the “Hand of Dawn.” They stopped shipments of grain to major cities, burned fields owned by royal families, and moved through the countryside like a wave of locusts. When the daughter of Jireh Naronish was assassinated (and only three weeks before her intended marriage to Neshstophor Faizal, third in line to the throne of Myere), the Council and the royal family decided that they could no longer afford to ignore the threat that the Abek Da’ar posed to their country. The Green Guard tracked Izmir for three months before they caught him. He was brought to Senaath, where he was publicly tortured and finally impaled upon a spike in the central square. When some of the Arbek Da’ar retaliated by killing two members of the Council, they were hunted down and beheaded in the streets. In two years, two hundred and thirty-three Arbek Da’ar were executed in this manner, and those known to be sympathetic to them were clapped in chains (and many sold to the Nost’Karéan government as slaves). The ferocity of this response cowed most of the Arbek Da’ar, and they retreated into shadows and secrecy. The Myerian government considered them eradicated. The country began to recover from the famines, and began to rebuild. Then, in 323 AY, Shirim ak’Talbar, a member of the Council of 18, was found beheaded in his own bedroom. There was an imprint of a black hand branded into his chest. Over the next year, four other Council members were killed in much the same way, each with the same mark upon their breast. The government was at a loss. Rumors persisted that a group calling themselves Qeret jhet’Da’ar, the “Manifold Hand of Destiny” claimed responsibility for the assassinations, and demanded that Myere return to its rightful place in the Nost’Karéan Empire. “Vorset lek’Izmiri rokannon bel ap tro’kestem” - “The sons of Izmir shall not be slaves” - was whispered in the streets, and became a rallying cry. The Council, fearing another revolution, immediately cracked down on anyone claiming allegiance to the Qeret jhet’Da’ar. But the Sons of Izmir had learned a lesson, and they were not this time easily found. In over 150 years of hunting, only forty-six jhet’Da’ar have been tried and executed. Twelve of those were tried when Ben Khaben, one of the “Three Powers,” was taken by the Green Guard and forced to reveal what he knew under torture. His revelation about the tattoo of the black hand led to the capture and execution of the other eleven. This was a hard blow to the society, and the name of Ben Khaben is still spoken with scorn within the ranks of the jhet’Da’ar. Since they stopped imprinting themselves with their signature tattoo in 475 AY, only eight lek’Izmiri have been caught, though dozens of others suspected of supporting them have been imprisoned or sold. Present: The Qeret jhet’Da’ar are considered terrorists and murderers, even by most of their own countrymen. They are a small society, moving ever carefully and shrouded in secrecy. They move through Myere and beyond, whispering subversion and urging the people to support a return to Nost’Karé and their former glory. They use assassination, destruction of property, thievery, and any other means at their disposal to make their point. They are few, but their reputation is large. They encourage the people of Myere to consider themselves virtual slaves of the Faizal family and the Council—as the wealth of Nost’Karé increases, more and more Myerians are beginning to consider that the revolutionaries may have a point. Members of the jhet’Da’ar, in the last few years, have begun venturing beyond the borders of their homeland. They have no love for other governments, but they seek to make deals for arms and support from outside Myere. Some say that a large number of jhet’Da’ar are based in the lowlands of southeastern Rynith, with that government’s covert approval. Alliances: The Qeret jhet’Da’ar claim no allegiance with any other group, though they consider as allies all who wish for a return to greatness. There are not vast numbers of sympathizers with the lek’Izmiri in Myere itself, but there are some, and they will help the jhet’Da’ar in whatever way they can. The stance of Nost’Karé has always been one of governmental disapproval, though not nearly as vehement as Myere would like. Support for the jhet’Da’ar may actually be greater in Nost’Karé than in Myere itself—many nobles of Nost’Karé also look back with nostalgia on the days when the Nost’Karéan Empire was not only a trading capital, but a political and military force unequaled in the history of eastern Xaria. Dreams of empire have not faded from all minds in the court of the Ka’jeh. Jhet’Da’ar operations in Sha’Thraem have not proven particularly successful. The nomads of the plains seem to care little about the fight for glory. With no one power structure to which to address its efforts, Sha’Thraem has proven a difficult place to gain favor for the cause. There are rumors that Rynith supports the efforts of the Qeret jhet’Da’ar in Myere. Anything which helps shake the power of their neighbors is welcomed by the Rynith government. They certainly have never publicly approved of the rebels, and have given assurances to Myere that they would never aid such insurrection. Some even believe them. Rumors abound within the ranks of the jhet’Da’ar about all that awaits them in their glorious future (indeed, with the strict secrecy of their society, they often know little more than outsiders). Many say that Ka’jeh Feróz is secretly sympathetic to their cause, and is ready to send in his troops to support the revolution when it comes. Each lek’Izmir lives on the idea that they need strike only one more blow, make one more injustice plain, and the whole of Myere will rise up behind them, and they will return to the glory days of old. As of late, some merchants from outside countries (notably Irroquin, Rynith, and Gallura) have made very profitable trade agreements with members of the jhet’Da’ar. Trading weapons, poisons, and provisions for stolen Myerian goods (most of which are originally from Nost’Karé, and often of very fine quality). It should also be noted that the jhet’Da’ar will not trade with DeMekrian merchants, regarding them as part of the cause of their confinement. Enemies: The government of Myere hates the Qeret jhet’Da’ar with a passion unequaled. The punishment for being found to be a member of the lek’Izmiri is summary execution. There are no exceptions. The reward for turning in a member of the jhet’Da’ar currently stands at 1,000 Nost’Karéan s’herk, and normally goes higher during times of unrest or just after jhet’Da’ar attacks. Nost’Karé and the tribes of Sha’Thraem have also agreed to capture and return any such rebels found within their borders to the Myerian government for trial, though few persons have ever been turned over as such. Leadership: Few claim to know who the true leader of the Qeret jhet’Da’ar is. The Tor’jeh Sindrith (“Shadow King”) is the only name by which the one man whose will rules the Qeret jhet’Da’ar is known. Taking a lesson from their martyred founder, few of those high in the jhet’Da’ar allow more than rumor to circulate about them. Members receive their orders from their immediate superiors within the society—they usually know no more than four or five other members, and only one superior. This decentralized structure protects the jhet’Da’ar from being fully exposed by any traitor in their ranks. Despite this, their ability to focus their efforts quickly and effectively is remarkable. Divisions: There are said to be nine levels of power in the Qeret jhet’Da’ar, as there nine High Dynasties in Nost’Karé. At the top sits the near-mythical Tor’jeh Sindrith; under him are the Vorok Domoli, the “Three Powers.” From thence, power descends through ranks until it reaches the lowest levels, those who carry out the plans of their masters, known simply as the Da’arim (“Hands”). Code and Prohibitions: The most important code of the jhet’Da’ar is secrecy. No one in the society may reveal anything at all about their operations or organization (though with as little as most Da’arim know, and with the punishment by the government being so severe, this is not normally a problem). The jhet’Da’ar will go so far as to assassinate their own members if they fear they may reveal something about their society. Each member takes a blood oath upon initiation into the society, and are expected to die (even if it means taking their own life) before they break it. Outside Myere, the restrictions of secrecy are still tight, but not nearly so severe. Members are even now being sent out into Nost’Karé, Sha’Thraem, and lands beyond to try to barter for support and even (when possible) gain sympathy for their cause. Recruitment: There is secrecy even in the method of recruitment for the lek’Izmiri. The only way one can join is to be approached by one of the jhet’Da’ar; and since such approach is so risky, it must be carried out in the most subtle and inconspicuous of ways. Potential member and recruiter can be locked in a careful dance of diplomacy for months before any definite decision is reached. The jhet’Da’ar are not above assassinating those who refuse membership. Typical Member: Most jhet’Da’ar are men, though some women can be found in their ranks (indeed, some say that the current Tor’jeh is a woman). They are almost all of Myerian ancestry, and some can trace their lines back to the fallen noble houses of the founding of the country. There are some few Nost’Karéans and a handful of outsiders who work with the jhet’Da’ar. Generally Known: Outside Myere and Nost’Karé, few are aware of the existence of the Qeret jhet’Da’ar. In Myere, the government represents the lek’Izmiri as murderers, thieves, and traitors of the worst kind, and has been known in the past to dispense stories of “atrocities” committed by the group to lower them in the eyes of the populace. Parents in Myere use the jhet’Da’ar as a threat to get their children to behave. Most Myerians know of their goals (the jhet’Da’ar make them plain enough in their few statements); how they are seen by the populace depends on who you ask. Quote: “Vorset lek’Izmiri rokannon bel ap tro’kestem! Long live the Empire!” Game Mechanics: No character higher than the Da’arim should be played by a player without specific permission from the contact person and the GM running the game. Da’arim may pose as anything, and may have any set of skills or spells. They will stop at nothing to achieve their ends, except revealing their association with the jhet’Da’ar to any who might compromise them. Secrecy and ruthlessness are the bywords for the Da’arim. No Da’arim will know more than his/her specific mission, and usually will not know much more than their direct orders. Contact: Michael Slusser Red File: A Red File does exist for the Qeret jhet’Da’ar, but it need not and should not be consulted unless there is a specific question to be answered or you wish to use the jhet’Da’ar in a game you are running.